The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-24
MOSTLY ABOUT CATS AND DOGS.

There is knowing dog in Newburyport,
Mass, named Pop He is OF the wise among
the dogs. Missing his mistress one day and
finding the house locked up. he remembered
that her parents resided in Salisbury and he
started for that town, getting on the tram at
the depot in this city and leaving 1t at East
Salisbury. Then he called at the house where
he expected to find her, and seeing she was not
there. he returned to this city on foot. He Is
an Irish setter and very valuable dog.
A member Of the London Geological Society
says: II once had q cat who always sat up to the
dinner table with me and had his napkin round
his neck and his plate and some fish. When he
finished his fish sometimes gave him piece OF
mine. One day just as the plates were put
around for the entree puss came rushing up
stairs and sprang into his chair with two mice in
his mouth. Before he could be stopped he
dropped a mouse on his own plate and then one
on mine. He divided his dinner with me as
had divided mine with him.
The Boston Herald had a story some time ago
about cat that could read, at least, as her
owner declared, could read the inscription on Z
letter directed to her. A friend of the ownte
was called to witness this feat one day when
letter came directed to Miss Pussy, No - Marl-
boro street When a bundle Of letters
placed before her feline hiGhness, she 10 mo-
ment pushed aside with her paws the letter ad-
dressed to her. The owner theL said wait
minute. She'll open it and devour the con tents.
Scarcely had she said this when Miss Pussy had
torn the envelope open, and in moment was
literally devouring the contents The envelope
was filled with catnip.
family OF eleven rats made their homo in a
sugar hogshead, but they were finally discovered
by the store cat. 1t looked down on the eleven
rats for about five minutes. Then it went away
and was gone about quarter of an hour, aud
came back with another cat, and they sat on the
edge of the hogshead and looked down for about
fen minutes more. then they went away and
were gone long time, and came back with q
third cat. and the three looked down the hogs
head for about five minutes, and then jumped in
al nj m AZ a n fa R,t how had
mlscalculated. The rats fought desperately for
their lives: they killed the two strange cats, and
almost killed the store cat Its master took it
out after it had lost one eye and was terribly
bitten.
An old farmer who lived in Lancaster county,
Pennsylvania had precocious dog that was
able to tell the time by the clock. He would
run into the house." said the farmer, 'and look
up to the clock, and il il wasn't Quarter-past 5
he'd go off about his business Then he'd come
back again, and the second it was quarter past 3
he'd bark and start for the cows. One day my
wife though. she'd So. if the dog could
noon she turned the clock to 5. The
cog came in, looked indiferently up at
the clock. stopped shook his head, and then ran
look the sun. He came back again,
| squatted down and eyed that clock as if he was
waiting for a rat When the minute hand got
around to quarter past he started off as usual,
and before we could stop him he had all them
cows MP in the barn-yard. I drove them back,
and more mortified person you never saw than
that dog. He ran into the house, but the woman
had turned the hands back to the true time. The
dog jumped I'D at the clock and acted as if he
wanted to tear it to pieces He always seemed
| to distrust the thing after that
Mr. James McNichois of St Louis has valu-
able Scotch terrier which recently saved the life
of his tweve-year- old child, Belle in intelli-
| gent manner One day, when they were up
stairs together, Belle had occasloned to enter a
| clothes closet flledtwth shelves. There was Just
enough room between the shelves and the en-
trance for her to stand erect, and while she was
doing SO Jack, in playful mood, stood on his
hind legs and with his fore paws the door
closed it tight The closet opened from the out
side only. and in 1t. almost Theoretically sealed,
her outcres silenced to the inmates Of the house,
| her danger known to no one but the dog. Belle
left to die in all the horrors ofstrang ulaton.
| But endowed with reason almost human, though
denied the gift of speech, the intelligent animal.
| after some futile efforts at assistance, trotted
! down the stairs till he found the old family
| servant, when he endeavored by every means
possible to dog to attract her attention and in
duce her to follow him. At first she thought
him mad, but finally concluded to what he
| would do and started upstairs after him, Jack
turning himself around and wagging his tail at
every step. Upon reaching the closet his whin-
ings and demonstrations increased. and when is
was opened Belle was found in an unconscious
condition. In five minutes more she would
have been dead, although she had, with great
presence of mind. managed to turn around and
! apply her mouth to the keyhoie.